Using glider AUV technology, researchers at Rutgers University hope to be the first scientists to successfully navigate an AUV across the entire Atlantic Ocean over the course of seven months. Ari Daniel Shapiro reports on the project in an excellent Spectrum podcast, explaining the technology behind the glider and what the goals of the mission are. Gliders use low-power variable buoyancy systems to glide up and down through the water column for months at a time and carry payloads of different kinds of sensors to collect oceanographic data. These are primarily water quality sensors -- salinity, temperature, optical quality, …

There's been quite a bit going on with the Boston-based robotics companies lately. Here's a quick roundup: iRobot can't seem to go long without making news, and the last couple weeks have been no exception. Not only did CTO Rod Brooks leave to start a new company (as reported last week), but a couple new Roomba versions were released and news of another underwater robotic technology acquisition was announced. The Nekton purchase, together with the Seaglider license they acquired back in June, shows they're making an aggressive grab for a piece of the UUV market. …

Everyone lately is covering the thermally powered glider developed by Webb Research. Last week I attended the AUVSI/ONR Joint Review in Orlando, Florida, and I got to listen to someone from Webb talk a bit about their glider and how it works. Gliders in general are a version of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), but with one important distinction: they are buoyancy-driven, rather than using a propeller to generate thrust underwater. Gliders maintain the torpedo-like shape of traditional AUVs but typically have wings that provide an extra …